


The Gate to Eternity

by ChasetheSun2



Category: Primal (Video Game)
Genre: Dream Sequences, Dreams vs. Reality, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Grieving, Identity Issues, Interspecies Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 04:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10937043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChasetheSun2/pseuds/ChasetheSun2
Summary: Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.The war against Abaddon left Jen with a comatose boyfriend and Jared with a dead family. Neither of them have much else, save for their memories. Perhaps, though, those memories aren't as far off as they appear.





	1. Chapter 1

There was to be a feast the night after the death of King Herne. Scree, while frowning and huffing the entire time, could not in good graces turn down Jared's invitation. After what Jen had seen in the Necropolis the night before, after all, she deserved a small amount of rest.

Jared had used his new power as reigning monarch to begin the reconstruction of Solum's Capital the moment the news had broken out. It was surprising to see how fast the nimble satyrs began working to make their city the crown jewel it had been before. Jen and Scree followed Jared as he worked, helping out here and there, wherever they could. Jen never once left her Ferai form – maybe because of the strength and speed it offered her, maybe because it helped her feel less out of place among the people.

Her first night staying in the King's chambers felt..strange. Jared, for old times' sake, had remained in his old rooms once the stones had been laid in place over the passage. It was well into the night before he went to bed, tired and sore and covered in blood and dust. It had been a long day. Jen was in a similar state, her hands roughened by the labor, her back sore. She felt like she'd need a bath – or several – once this was all through. Scree promised her that there was a hot spring nearby she could use later.

For now, though, it was time for rest. It would do her no good to bathe now, anyhow; the King's chambers were reconstructed but not cleaned yet and she would simply get dirty once more. Scree was not with her; he was still working tirelessly on what he called the most important part of the palace; the Ferai Courts.

The night passed slowly for Jen, who found herself unable to sleep in a place where time stood still. How long had she been out of her body, at this point? She remembered finding a bed in the poor quarter of the city and curling up there for a catnap, but how long had that nap really been? What happened to her body back home when she slept in Oblivion? She shuddered to think.

After three hours of no rest, she sighed, making her way out towards the statue of the old king. The holes in the building were not yet fixed, as the malkai were posing an issue for the Ferai builders. The hyena-like animals were afraid of her torch, however, and she passed through with ease. She made sure to burn a few torches and lamps along the way for the builders so they could keep working without fear of being attacked. Always considerate.  
  
When she got to the top of the stairs, though, she found she wasn't the only one who'd had the same idea. Jared was sat with his legs dangling over the wall's opening, staring with a pensive expression into the eyes of his father's statue. When Jen knocked a spare brick with her boot, he started, turning and leaping up with a growl. Jen put her hands up.

"Easy there, big guy." She said. Her voice lacked its usual edge, either from exhaustion or from a sense of sympathy. She looked out towards the statue and could instantly understand why he was here. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" She asked him.

Jared gave a faint snort and sat back down, putting his legs over the edge once more. "No," He said simply. "Sleep is a comfort I'm afraid my body refuses to afford me for the moment."

"You need to get some rest sometime," Jen protested. "I don't think Solum wants a king dead on his feet---" She cut herself off. "Sorry. That was a little insensitive."

Jared waved her off. She sat down beside him, staring at the statue. "I know no offense was meant." He murmured. "I know I _should,_ but the question isn't of what I should do, it's what I'm capable of." Jen felt like there was more to that statement than he let on. "And at the moment I'm afraid I'm incapable of resting. Too much has happened lately for me to relax....too much...Chaos...for me to feel safe enough to sleep."

Jen nodded. She knew that feeling. The prickle at the back of her neck, that impending-doom sense, hadn't stopped since she'd gotten here. "Right." She said softly. "The best way for you to combat that is to get some rest, though. You're safer with more energy, you can fight better."

A faint smile pulled at Jared's lips. "You like to outwit people, don't you?" He asked, amused. "Sway them to your line of thinking."

Jen grinned. "Yeah, I guess you could say I'm pretty stubborn."

"Not often a wise quality to have," Jared mused, "But somehow I think you make it work to your advantage." He shifted in his seat, staring out at the statue again. His face fell into that pensiveness again and he sighed softly.

"This statue will remain here until the height of my power," He said quietly. Jen looked it over, then looked back at him. "Then it will be moved to the Circle of Kings, like the rest of them. That could be ten, twenty years from now, however...I'd very much rather it was moved immediately."

Jen nodded. Seeing his father's face, so close to the palace...it must have been a constant reminder of what had happened. It'd be like seeing Lewis' face everywhere while she had been on this little adventure. All longing, no comfort.

Before she had a chance to reply, though, he sighed once more and stood up. "I suppose you are right, Jen." he said to her. He offered her a hand up and she took it, amazed at how easily he lifted her. "We should both get some rest, I think. Solum's savior and its new king would not be looked kindly upon of they were late for the festivities tomorrow."  
  
Jen's cheeks flushed. "Well, I dunno about 'savior'...though the title does have a nice ring to it." She grinned and Jared chuckled faintly. She still felt on edge, though, and hesitated. "Hey, Jared. You think maybe we could stay in the same room? It's...safer."

Jared looked at her through the corner of his eye as they walked down the bloodsoaked halls. They didn't seem to faze him but the spatters of gore gave Jen the jitters, even with the torch in hand. "I suppose that could be arranged," He said with a nod. "There are two beds in my fa — my.... chambers. We could use those."

Jen nodded as she made her way back. "Sounds like a great idea, big guy."

 

  
The night was long but Jen found that with company it was easier to sleep. A little awkward, but not as much as when Lewis' drummer got tweaked and tried to make out with her. Only slightly less so than that.  
  
Morning came and it was more reconstruction of the palace and the city. No more climbing over and on top of rubble, it seemed. Jen was sure, by the time the festivities were underway, that she would never get clean of the dust and dirt.   
  
However, somehow the Ferai handmaidens used the grittiest, sweetest-smelling soap they had and managed to get her sparkling clean. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was with letting them see her human and nude so they ended up spending extra time getting the matted blood out of her pelt. It felt nice. She wondered vaguely if this was what cats felt like when they were getting petted.   
  
She was allowed to wear her normal clothes for the 'daytime' festivities – she used that word lightly, because it was always goddamned night here. Fire-breathers, contortionists, entertainers of all kinds joined in the Plaza where the fountain had just been rebuilt and flowed warm, sparkling waters from the hot spring below. Stalls selling hot foods steamed up the chilly night air with warm meat kebabs, grilled and honeyed fish and – gross – Malkai ribs. Still, at Jared's and Scree's insistence she tried them. They tasted like pork; she wasn't gonna question it.  
  
At the evening's bell toll, however, the wild and happy party wound down and the Ferai began to go home to dress for a more solumn occasion; Herne's funeral. Jen was stuffed into a tight black gown with an even tighter corset and she winced as she felt her ribs creak under the pressure. Thankfully, her Ferai form was made of stronger stuff.  
  
It was a long walk to the Necropolis, and the whole of the City gathered outside in a sea of black. They watched and mourned as she and Jared alone were allowed to enter the Necropolis and watch the shamans entomb his father's found corpse. Soft hymns from the crowd and shamans swayed the girl and she sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes.   
  
Jared noticed and a soft smile came to his lips, but he said nothing.  
  
She was still humming the hymns, her mouth curling awkwardly around the demon tongue, her throat rasping at the harsher words. She recognized some of them, from the little she'd gathered, but she had no idea what it meant. Maybe she'd have Jared explain it to her later in the night.  
  
After the funeral was a quick trek through the Rift Gates for the King, the savior and her companion. Back to the palace they were dragged, to be washed and primped and – in Scree's case, polished. Jen grumbled as she was stuffed into yet another dress, this one green and brown and silver like the glow of her vambrace and the dark tan of her skin. She liked this one. It was looser, freer. It reminded her vaguely of the dress of the demon that took Devena's form, only more...elegant. Her hair was twisted into an elegant knot, moon-flowers wound around her horns, and she was dragged away.  
  
Lively music filled the air and Jen was impressed with how fast the Ferai had worked, with Scree's help, to return the Ferai Court to a shining jewel. Scree gave her an encouraging nudge and a push straight into the fray of dancing demons.   
  
She wasn't long wandering around before someone nabbed her for a dance. She looked up and it was Jared. She couldn't help a smile. "Deos Safinta," She said, remembering how Scree had addressed Herne when they'd been ambushed. Jared's eyes widened.   
  
"You speak the demon tongue?" He asked, tilting his head. "I would have assumed – my apologies, I know it is not polite of me."  
  
Jen couldn't help but laugh. "Relax. I have no idea what I just said but I'm guessing it's something along the lines of 'hello'."  
  
"Oh," Jared huffed out a small chuckle too. Jen couldn't help but notice that despite cloven hooves, he was a talented dancer. Must be a royalty thing. "Something along those lines, yes. It is how we address members of the royal court as a greeting."  
  
"Duly noted," Jen said, tilting her head. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Scree, looking uncomfortable in such a setting. Probably didn't know how to have fun. Poor Rocky. She yawned slightly and Jared frowned.   
  
"Are you tired?" He asked. His voice carried a note of concern.   
  
Jen shook her head. "Not really. Just had...an exciting few days. That's all." After all, it wasn't every day she was attacked by a demon, pulled from her body and brought into other worlds to save them. The very thought made her head spin.  
  
Jared still looked unsure. "If you wish to retire early, I would be honored to guide you back to the chambers," He said. He sounded so concerned and gentlemanly that Jen had to resist the urge to make either a gagging sound or the softest 'awwww'. She settled for the latter.

"I'm fine, big guy. Don't worry about me." She said. Jared looked confused.   
  
"You always say 'big guy'. What does this mean, precisely?" He asked. Jen chuckled.

"Tell you what. I'll teach you my language and you teach me yours." She said, raising a brow. Jared chuckled and twirled her elegantly, catching her by the waist when she nearly stumbled. Ferai feet were not nearly as graceful as some of the native daemons made them appear.  
  
"Promise me you will come back to see me again, and I will honor this agreement." He said. There was a note of something in his voice that she couldn't quite place. Still, she nodded, and he pulled her up from a dip she hadn't realised she'd been in. The music ended, and she applauded with the rest of them.   
  
She took a seat at the banquet table just outside the Courts for the next song. Some other Ferai was in her spot as Jared's partner and she watched the crowd idly, nibbling on what she'd been told was antelope. She didn't think it was like the antelope back home.   
  
The night wore on and Jen had three more dances in which Jared murmured soft demon tongue to her, translating and teaching before she finally had to admit that she was tired. Exhausted was the better word. She couldn't stop yawning and even though she didn't technically have a physical form, her every muscle was tense and demanding a soft bed.

Jared guided her back to the rooms and looked away as she changed into her own clothes, which had been cleaned and mended for her. How sweet of the maids. They'd even added small designs and insignias into her shirt, things that Scree would later tell her were marks that made her a sort of unofficial part of the royal family.

But she didn't know that now. She just thought they were pretty. Her fingers ran over the bumps of silken thread and she curled up in her bed. She yawned and heard Jared shifting around slightly as he got ready for bed as well. He mumbled something that sounded like a 'good night' in demon tongue and she mumbled it back. He chuckled softly and said something else, but she didn't hear it – she was already fast asleep.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen's dreams take her somewhere not quite new.

After Jen returned to the real world – or rather, the world she'd grown up in, things were...different. She felt it in the way she held herself, in the way people looked at her. She commanded a kind of respect from the people around her without realising it, stood taller, looked fiercer. Perhaps the demon side of her had changed her in some way. Seeing that part of herself, knowing of her lineage, made her feel stronger in a way no self-help book ever would. She felt as if something was missing when she came back, as if she'd left a part of herself in Oblivion.

She had dreams, too, of the places she'd been. More often than not they were nightmares of the blood she'd spilled, the horrors she'd seen at the hands of Abbadon. But sometimes, if she was lucky, she dreamed of the lovelier things; the sunset in Aquis, the grand halls of Aetha, the massive statues of Volca – and the festivals in Solum.

She enjoyed those dreams the most. Hearing the music, seeing the smiling, laughing faces. Battle-weary warriors dancing and cavorting merrily, dining on Malkai and antelope. The hearty, filling soups and stews complete strangers had given her, cool to the tongue but somehow warming her from the inside out.

Four months after she returned to Earth, Lewis still hadn't woken up. The last time she'd visited him in the hospital, she'd wondered whether or not he was even still in there. He looked so thin and pale, hooked up to feeding tubes and respirators. A ghost. It hurt to even look at him anymore, really. He was so frail and she couldn't bear to think of what he might be going through. It hurt a little more every day that she saw him.

She was weary and worn when she got home after her visit. She'd managed to find a better job, a better apartment, but it didn't mean she was any less exhausted emotionally after a hard day of work and then seeing her shell of a boyfriend. She passed out the moment her head hit the pillow.

This dream was....different. She couldn't place it but she just knew something was off. She was wary, looking around her. She was back in the Nexus again somehow. Without even thinking, her feet took her straight to the large slate doors in front of the Solum Rift Gate. She paused there, and could feel Kronos' eyes on her, burning into her back.

A question burned in her mind and she frowned slightly. Maybe he knew something. She turned around, walking back to him. "Kronos," She said, looking up.

He said nothing. Jen frowned but pressed on.

"Do you know...shit. D'you know what might've happened to Lewis? It's been four months on Earth, and he still hasn't woken up..."

As always, Kronos said nothing. But there was a look in his eyes, a sort of pity that Jen really didn't like. She bit her lip and broke eye contact with him. She didn't want to know, suddenly. Any answers she had wanted suddenly didn't seem worth it.

"A-alright. I'm gonna go now." She said, shifting uncomfortably. The way he looked at her made her want to hide from his eyes. He was staring straight through her, ruby-red jewel heart shimmering in the glow of the energies around him. She backed off and started to walk away – only, she didn't head to the Earth gate. She headed once again to Solum.

She didn't think twice this time about going through the Gate. She found herself once more in the Circle of Kings and smiled faintly. It seemed Jared got his wish – his father's statue stood tall and proud in the center. She walked past it and she wasn't sure if it was because of her encounter with Kronos or not, but it felt like the eyes of the Past Kings were following her.

Her feet took her instinctively to the Palace gates, ignoring the stares of the Ferai around her. She realised she was wearing the same thing that she'd had on during her little adventure, marking her as Ferai royalty, and it made her flush slightly. No wonder they were looking.

The Palace guards let her in right away, seeing the insignias on her clothes. Jared was soon notified and, dressed in all formal regale, came to greet her. He looked as if he stood taller somehow too, or maybe he just looked more ferocious and commanding in the fur mantle of his father. Either way, something was different about him, but good. Very good.

"Jennifer," He said, and Jen resisted the urge to cringe. He smiled wide and threw his arms open and she couldn't help a grin of her own. She wrapped her arms around him and he nearly picked her up.

"You've gotten stronger," She said, grunting from the force. Jared laughed aloud – what a strange sound to hear from him. Last time she'd seen him he was weary and grieving and worn from weeks of torture. It made sense that seeing him laughing and smiling and standing tall would be a change.

He let her go and look her over, still smiling faintly. "Perhaps I have," He said with a nod. "I do not seem to notice, however. Tell me, what brings you here?"

"I don't know," Jen shrugged. "I was pretty sure this was a dream but this feels....different."

Jared raised a brow – at least, she was pretty sure he'd done so. "Different from what?" He asked, tilting his head. "Do you dream of Solum often?" Jen flushed and he smiled knowingly. "I see. Perhaps the demon part of you misses its home. Perhaps you miss your home."

Damn him for putting words to the feeling. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. "Yeah, I guess." She said, still mulling it over. Jared seemed to sense that the topic was dead and quickly moved on.

"You seem more....solid, somehow, this time." He said, pointed ears twitching. "Nevertheless. Come with me, Jen – I would love to show you my city now that we have repaired the damage done by the earthquakes.

Solid...did that mean her body had come with her this time? She frowned slightly. Was this a dream? Had she found a way to visit Oblivion fully? She put it out of her mind as Jared guided her out of the Palace into the inner city. Just as he promised, it was gorgeous. They'd fixed the walls and remade everything in shining marble, the walls gilted with silver and sparkling with a new layer of soft snow. The cobblestone roads and paths were clean and bright, strange horselike creatures and two-legged mounts trotting down the streets, carrying Ferai of all ages.

Jen stared in wide-eyed wonder. Everything was sparkling and beautiful, made crisp and thrown into sharp relief by the cold night air. She rubbed her arms and shivered. She hadn't realised she was cold until it'd begun snowing.

She felt the warmth of fur around her and looked up – Jared had settled his mantle around her shoulders. It warmed her instantly with its weight and thickness and she pulled it around her. "Thanks." She said, and Jared nodded with a kind expression on his face.

"It would not speak well of my hospitality if I were to allow our savior to freeze to death." He said, sounding amused. Jen grinned.

"Well, I'm sure I won't freeze, but...thanks, still, big guy." It was a kind gesture of him, for sure. She gripped the mantle tight to her and reveled in the feeling of the sort fur. It felt strange to be wearing a Malkai but she wasn't going to complain.

Instead, she followed him around the city, to the town square. She grinned when she saw that the festivities that she'd seen the first night after Lady Devena's downfall were a nightly thing. Fire-dancers had joined the fray this time, and she heard the sound of fiddles and guitars and street drums. She found herself tapping her foot to the beat.

Jared noticed and chukled softly. "Do you like music, Jen?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I used to go to clubs with Lewis all the time – not the same kind of music, though." She said, adding the last part as an afterthought. The idea of a bunch of drunk college kids dancing to this seemed...almost laughable. Still, it was an addictive kind of tune.

Jared looked at her as if she'd sprouted another head and she realised he had no idea what a club was. "O-oh, uh..." She hesitated. How do you explain the idea of a club to someone who was so foreign to anything human? "A club, it's a place where people go to get drunk and dance." It was the lamest explanation she could give but it was all she could do.

Luckily Jared seemed to understand and nodded thoughtfully. "Then I assume this must be similar to your 'clubs', then, is it?" He asked, and he was so far off the mark that she almost doubled over laughing. The poor thing looked so confused and hurt that she shook her head and had to explain.

"No, no, not at all. Clubs are packed and sweaty and kind of sketchy. This is....this is nice." If she was to be honest with herself, this was much better than any club she'd ever been to. It just felt more...alive, somehow. More spirited.

Jared smiled, the hurt vanishing from his face. Other Ferai were dancing to the music in the square and, looking around, he offered his hand to her. "Would you mind terribly?" He asked.

Jen snorted and shook her head. She handed him back his mantle, her form glowing a bright neon green. She heard several gasps and shook off her human shape for something a little more familiar to Solum. Jared's eyes brightened and he smiled faintly. That was right – he'd never seen her change before. She felt the power of the Ferai aspect flood her system and it was like a kick of adrenalin straight to the chest.

She grinned, eyes glittering. She gave a little shudder as the final touches slid into place. It didn't hurt anymore like the first time, in fact, it felt like she was freeing herself. It was pleasant and honestly wondrous. She took his hand in hers, still not matching his height but at least able to meet his eyes now. "I don't think I warned you last time, big guy, but I'm a terrible dancer."

Jared laughed and swept her into his arms, pulling her further into the throng. They'd stopped staring at this point and were more then happy to welcome her into the fray. Jen had no idea what she was doing, she was two left feet when it came to dancing, but apparently whatever she was doing was good because Jared seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Why does it feel like every time we hang out, we end up dancing?" Jen asked, breathless from laughter after yet another dizzying whirl. Jared looked thoughtful for a moment, then pulled her closer. Jen couldn't help it as her cheeks flushed a bright colour and once again she was grateful for the light tan fur on her cheeks.

"Admittedly, it is a...favourite pastime of mine." He said. Jen had kind of assumed that but she wasn't about to tell him.

"Do you have any other favourite pastimes?" She asked.

He looked almost embarrassed, then nodded. Sensing that this was a bit secretive, she leaned in closer. "When I was younger," He told her quietly, "My mother would take me sledding down the hills by he palace. Father always disapproved, but mother...I believe she was simply using me as an excuse." His eyes twinkled with amusement and Jen laughed.

"Did you like it, though?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. I haven't been sledding in many years, though."

Jen's lips curled into a devious smile. "Well...it did just snow. Maybe we could..."

Jared frowned. "I'm not sure if it's...appropriate." He said. They'd stopped dancing and were now simply standing, face to face, watching each other. No one else around them seemed to mind.

"Who cares about appropriate?" Jen's grin only grew wider. "You're a king now. You're allowed to do whatever you want. Live a little, relax!"

Jared's frown slowly turned into a hesitant smile. "I suppose you are right," He said, nodding. He took her hand and led her back towards the palace and Jen crowed with victory. "Let's go sledding. It will be nice to enjoy it again."

 


End file.
